Sorry, Boss
by Yanagi-wa
Summary: There's been a threat to Mokuba. Joey and Seto make it right. One Shot in the To Serve and Protect verse.


Sorry, Boss.

A To Serve and Protect Story

Betaed by Skippyscatt

"Boss. We got a real problem." The Yakuza soldier rushed into the room panting.

Miyabi looked up. "What is it?"

"Hanabi ... he's lost his mind. He messed with young Kaiba-san."

Miyabi dropped his brush and just groaned. "Oh, fuck. We'll have to do something quick."

Miyabi tried to call Hanabi on the phone but got no reply. He slammed the phone down muttering, "Dammit, that jackass is going to get us in all kinds of trouble. Genkotsu-ryu doesn't forgive."

The soldier bit his lip for a moment then offered. "Maybe we can appease him in some way. Tell him who really caused the incident. Just ... offer him up like a sacrifice to honor?"

"Maybe, if we're quick." Miyabi rubbed his chin.

But it was too late, Joey Wheeler a.k.a. Katsuya Genkotsu-ryu eased into the room a bland look on his face. He glanced around then said, "Come."

Kaiba Seto stepped in with all the arrogance of a man who owned the world. Which was very near the truth. He sat in the big easy chair across the desk from Miyabi and just waited. He didn't have to wait long.

Miyabi nearly whimpered, "I didn't do it, I swear. I don't know who did. Please. I'll do whatever you ask."

Joey pinned him with a cold look and snarled, "Shut up."His yakuza accent was so heavy that, for the moment, only another yakuza could understand him.

Seto started to say something but was interrupted by three men barging into the office. They made it through the door but that was all. Joey introduced them to his Berettas, his draw so fast that no one really saw it.

"Easy there. Kumicho Kaiba doesn't like loud noises. Wanna settle this the easy way, or fight it out?" The guns disappeared and a short sword or long tanto appeared in their place. Two of the three eased back to the wall, the third jumped Joey. Joey just mushed him in the face and tripped him. He landed right in the middle of Miyabi's desk with a loud thunk.

Seto looked bored. "Control your minions. Or I'll let Joseph have them, then you."

"No, no. Get out. All of you out. I'll be fine. It's just a misunderstanding. Kaiba-dono will listen." The men looked doubtful so Miyabi blew up. "You fuckers get out! All of you assholes, out." They left.

Joey shut the door behind them then stationed himself in front of it, heels against the bottom.

Seto examined his finger nails, straightened the crease in his trousers and then settled in the chair again. Joey just stood behind his shoulder, a blank expression on his face. Miyabi gulped nervously, that look boded no good.

After a short interval in which Miyabi sweated a ring under his arms Seto asked Miyabi if he was suicidal. Miyabi shook his head, "No! I'm not. I have no idea what exactly is going on but if you'll explain it to me, I'll figure out something. Please."

Joey spoke to Miyabi for the first time. "One of your men has issued a challenge to Kaiba Mokuba. Kaiba-sama would like to know why. And so would I."

Miyabi called in his advisor, his Saiko-komon, and asked him to find out exactly what was going on, quickly. The man scurried out then came back. It took him less than ten minutes during which both Seto and Joey watched Miyabi like two cats watching a mouse.

"I'm not exactly sure what brought this on, but the challenge didn't come from Hanabi. His waka gashira says he didn't send it. And the man doesn't know who did." Seto gave one slow blink. Joey flexed his fingers, making his knuckles crack. "My advice?" He bowed to Joey, addressing him, as was proper. None of Miyabi's people would address Seto directly, they either talked to their Oyabun or Joey as Seto's chief enforcer. Joey nodded. "Go to Hanabi and lean on him, hard. There's a problem there that isn't getting fixed."

Joey bowed slightly, "I'll be happy to see to that ... with your permission." Miyabi gladly gave it, breathing a sigh of relief.

Seto nodded to the still sweating man, stood up and swept out, coat tails flaring. Joey followed like a silent, stone faced shadow.

Seto nodded to Roland climbed into the car and scooted over to make room for Joey. Roland closed the door and then got behind the wheel.

"Well, that went well. What the fuck is going on? Miyabi isn't stupid so how the hell did he lose control of one of his principal kyodai?"

Seto leaned against Joey and snuggled him. "We'll figure it out. Mokuba says he has no idea why. Someone is going to tell us something sooner or later. Hanabi isn't going to like this, is he?" Seto's expression wavered between angry and loving. Joey just hugged Seto.

"Nope! Not gonna like it at all. No one threatens my family and gets away with it. Now ... plans."

Xxx

Hanabi looked up from his game as the door to his office opened. He blinked once then paled. Katsuya Genkotsu-ryu stood just inside the door, left wrist clasped in his right hand and said, 'Kumicho Kaiba-dono.' In a flat tone of voice.

Kaiba Seto stepped into the room. He settled himself in the chair in front of the desk, crossed his legs elegantly and settled his elbows on the arms. Raising his hands to a comfortable position in front of his chest, he set his chin on them. Then he just waited.

Finally Hanabi couldn't stand it anymore. "What do you want? I don't ..."

Joey just leaned in over Seto's shoulder. "You upset my Kumicho. I don't like that. Why you sent a challenge to my brother I'll never know.At least I won't if you don't start explaining yourself rather quickly. You know Joseph does have a rather short fuse when family is involved."

Hanabi paled and stammered, "I didn't ... I wouldn't ... not a Kaiba. Never."

Joey just dipped his hand slowly into the inside pocket of his jacket. He opened the jacket all the way so that the Shatei gashira and his aides could see not only his weapons but that he wasn't reaching for them. He eased the envelope from his pocket and flicked it onto the desk in front of Hanabi. Hanabi picked it up and gazed at it much like he would have gazed at a cobra dropped on his desk.

When he opened the envelope Hanabi realized exactly what had happened. "This isn't from me. It's from my son. I've never seen Kaiba Mokuba that I know of. Is he medium height, slender, with long messy black hair?"

Seto dropped his hands and just nodded.

Katsuya Genkotsu-ryu just leaned in, he didn't need to say anything, the look on his face was threat enough. He looked like he wanted to just suck the life out of someone.

"Call your son. Who the hell does he think he is, threatening my Waka gashira? I'll have his head for this."

Hanabi just flapped his hand gently. "Ma, ma. Easy. He's only 18. Thinks he's tough. I'm so sorry that you were disturbed. Please calm down. That boy is going to be the death of me yet." The man sighed and eased back in his chair. If he could defuse the situation, he'd be very lucky. "He's always taking advantage of the fact that I'm a Shatei gashira. I don't know what to do. Perhaps you have some suggestions?" His hopeful look made Seto and Joey glance at each other.

Joey rolled his eyes. "Ok, Kumicho, what you wanna do?"

Seto shrugged. "If Hanabi-san assures us that there will be no repercussions, we might ... teach a small lesson in responsibility."

Joey just smirked, "Ya t'ink?" Seto winced.

Xx

Joey settled against Seto on the couch. "Well, that's a relief. I was afraid I'd have to cut someone. Don't want to go back to that, but I'd do it for Mo'."

Seto kissed Joey on the forehead. "I know, love. Thank you. We'll do a little scene setting and have our young 'friend' in for tea."

Joey eased back against Seto. "Tea? Ok, and a little conversation, right?" Joey grinned at Seto. "But it is nice to know that I've still got what it takes. And that I don't have to do that anymore. Hugs?"

Seto hugged Joey and they put their heads together to plan what they were going to do. Mokuba came in with tea and snacks. Seto questioned him closely to make sure that he hadn't done something to cause the challenge. He couldn't think of anything but settled to sip his tea and think carefully.

The three men ate snacks, drank tea and tried to figure out why young Hanabi had issued such a foolish challenge, nothing good could ever come of threatening a Kaiba.

"Well, fuck, Mo'. You have to have done something. Who have you had an argument with lately?"

Mokuba sighed,"The only argument I've had in over six months was with this ... dammit!"

Seto raised an eyebrow. "Out with it. What?"

"I won a Duel Monsters game about two weeks ago. I never caught the name properly. The guy insisted I had to have cheated. The judges ruled in my favor and this guy said he'd get me. You know very well that tempers run high even in the lower level tournaments, so I didn't pay much attention. Especially as I don't use my name when I duel unless it's for one of the higher level tournaments." Seto and Joey both gave him funny looks. "What? The name Kaiba tends to scare all the duelists off. So I've been using the name Yamada Taro."

Joey snorted. "Jesus. Common? That's as bad as John Doe." Seto poked Joey in the ribs making him snicker. "Well it is."

Mokuba shrugged. "I've started dueling seriously and I don't want any hint of nepotism to spoil it. This idiot probably doesn't even know who Kaiba Mokuba is anyway. So. Now what?"

Seto steepled his hands in front of his face. "Now, you go back to school. Joey and I teach that young man a lesson. He could have gotten his father killed, if I wasn't such a calm person."

Joey and Mokuba nearly hurt themselves they laughed so hard.

Joey spent an hour setting things up. It didn't take him long as he made some of the Hiode-gumi help him. He figured that the brat was their Oyabun's son so they might as well. And he noticed that there wasn't much grumbling, in fact one man whispered just a little too loudly, "It's about time someone made that brat be stand up." Joey agreed.

And so he made arrangements. Seto wandered in, made a noise of approval and wandered out again. He called Mokuba and asked him to be very sure that he hadn't done anything to warrant the young man issuing such a challenge. Mokuba assured Seto that all he'd done was beat him in a set of Duel Monster challenges.

"How many of the games did you win?" Seto wondered vaguely how badly Mokuba had beaten the boy.

"Nine."

Seto smirked at Joey. "That's my ototo. Call you later."

Joey asked what Seto was smirking at and nearly snickered himself silly when Seto told him what had really happened.

"So the little shit is just a really sore loser. I'll kick his ass. I swear. Just for scaring me like that."

"Leave some for me. I'll be back in a little while. I want to change my clothes and get you something a little more ..."

Joey shook his head. "Yakuza. And don't bother. I'm going to borrow something from one of the guys here. He's near my size and I know my harness will fit under it. Or ... if you can find it. That bronze suit. The one with the green shimmery finish."

"I'll look for it. I remember it. You look good enough to eat in it. Why don't you wear it anymore? It's real silk."

Joey grinned at Seto. "Gained too much weight. Doesn't fit over my harness anymore."

Joey's weight was a constant source of worry for Seto. Joey still had trouble keeping weight on, his years undercover had damaged his system in some way. He was recovering nicely but it was going to be a long haul. Doctors had assured Seto and Joey that he'd be fine, but it took twice as long to repair damage as it took to do it.

Seto returned with the suit and Joey tried it on. They decided that it fit well enough as Joey was going to leave his jacket open during their little 'show'.

"Well, nearly show time. You ready?"

Joey just nodded, cracked his neck and turned into a yakuza, right before the eyes of a dozen made men, cheerful Joey Wheeler disappeared and Katsuya Genkotsu-ryu appeared. The difference was startling and several of the men actually gasped.

"'cha lookin' at? Dumb asses! Get where ya supposed ta be."

Yakuza knee breakers scurried like kids, settling in their assigned places. Joey checked the arrangements then nodded to Seto.

Seto settled in the corner booth in the small restaurant they'd taken over. It was a tiny place and just what they needed. Seto was paying the owner more that he'd make in a week.

Joey sent out two very big men to fetch young Hanabi. Who's name turned out to be Hanabi Arata. Joey muttered 'fresh is right. I'll cool his jets.'

Hanabi Arata arrived accompanied by the two men, both of whom looked like they wanted to murder the boy. And boy he was, despite being 18 years old.

Some people mature gracefully, with dignity and earlier than normal. Hanabi Arata wasn't one of them. He was going to have to be dragged into maturity kicking and screaming all the way.

Right now he was bitching and complaining about the car, the ride and telling them who he was and what his father would do to them.

Joey stepped forward and glared at him. "Shut up. Kumicho Kaiba-sama doesn't want to hear your stupid mouth."

He wasn't what they'd expected. They'd expected a gangly, teen-ager; but at 18 Hanabi-chan was square, solid and muscular. He looked closer to thirty than twenty. He was also a wannabe wise guy.So what they really had on their hands was a kid whose body had matured faster than his brain.

Dressed in a shark skin suit, heavy gold chain and diamond pinky ring, he looked like a Mafioso. Except that he was about five foot seven, with a sullen, pouty mouth and a squint.

Joey mentally threw up his hands, thinking 'Oh, joy. This one is too stupid for words.'

Seto glanced at Joey and sighed. His unvoiced opinion was the same as Joey's. They were in agreement about Hanabi's intelligence even though they hadn't spoken.

Joey cracked his knuckles and waited for Seto to tell him what to do.

Seto considered his options. He had only one, intimidate the man. He was glad that they were both experts.

"Well, it seems that our young guest has a mouth on him. A mouth that needs taming. Joseph, see to it."

Joey just opened his jacket and shrugged his shoulders. He stepped around Seto and smacked Hanabi in the mouth backhanded.

"When Kaiba-dono wants to hear from you, I'll choke the answers outa ya. Got me?"

Hanabi-chan just nodded. He'd recognized both Joey and Seto just a moment too late. He wondered what he'd done to make them pick him up like this. He also knew that his father wasn't powerful enough to get him out of this. He'd have to do it on his own, if he could.

"Look, I don't know what it is that you think I did but I didn't do it. Just ask my father. I don't 'work', I'm just the son."

Seto checked with Joey, just a quick flick of the eyes. Joey blinked slowly, like a lizard trying to decide whether a bug was worth eating or not. Seto returned his gaze to Hanabi. Hanabi started to sweat.

"I see. So you have no responsibilities with the clan. This is not a good thing. I'll be speaking to your father about that. But that is for later. You have offended me by challenging my brother. Joseph."

Joey just handed Hanabi the challenge letter he'd sent to Mokuba.

"But ... this is to Yamada Taro. He cheated. He had to have. I'm good, and he's just a kid."

Seto frowned. "He's my brother, Kaiba Mokuba. He's using that name to keep people from avoiding his challenges to duel. You accepted. You lost. If there was a problem the judges would have done the appropriated thing." Seto pinned the idiot with a cold glower. "Do understand that he's dueled with me and Joey and Muto Yugi on a regular basis. As well as helping to design the dueling programs."

Hanabi gulped. He was inreal trouble now and he knew it. To send a challenge to someone like Mokuba just for prides sake was to ask for trouble on a grand scale.

Joey started to step forward, glaring coldly. The soft plip, plip sound made him step back. Seto grimaced in disgust, his cold glare fading into boredom. Hanabi just flushed scarlet.

"Joseph, do something with him, please."

Joey shifted into full on menace. "Like what, Kumicho?"

"Teach him his place, then get him out of here."

"Sir." Joey dipped his hand into his jacket and everyone in the room, except Seto, flinched. Joey pulled out his deck. "You've been dueling for several years?"

Hanabi nodded.

"What's in my deck? It's my old standard that I used in the Battle of Domino City."

Hanabi scrunched up his face. "How should I know? I don't care about your deck, all I care about is winning." He looked pathetic and scared. He plucked at his pants fretfully.

Seto shook his head. "Give up. He's hopeless."

Joey shrugged. This was so anticlimactic it was pathetic. He tucked his deck back into his pocket. "Ok, Kumicho. What you want done with him?"

"Send him home to daddy with instructions to put him in the clan and keep a hand on him. He's too stupid to be allowed out in public alone."

Joey nodded and sat down to write. He told one of the nearby men to take the 'boy out and scrub him down. Dress him like he should be dressed and, for God's sake, get rid of that ridiculous chain.'

The man led Hanabi-chan away with a wink at the two men. When he returned him Hanabi-chan was dressed in a school uniform that made him look nearly his age. He was clean shaven and had gotten rid of the chain and ring as Joey had ordered.

Hanabi endured the inspection of his captors with wriggling impatience.

"Well, young man, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Hanabi bowed carefully, making sure that it was deep enough but not too deep. "I'm sorry. I apologize humbly. Please forgive me."

Seto nodded regally. "Forgiven. You will return to your father and apologize to him. You will not shame him again."

Joey flicked one finger at the hovering chaffer and told him to get the boy out of their faces and back to his father, ending, "And tell that fool to keep the brat busy. Make him stay in school and give him some responsibilities. A good caning wouldn't go amiss either."

The chaffer bowed deeply. "Yes, sir. I'll tell him exactly what you said, sir. And ... sir?" Joey raised an eyebrow. "Thank you, sir. The boy was well on the way to being worthless, this may pull him out of it, if the Shatei gashira keeps him under his hand."

Joey thought for a second. "Give him the impression that that is my suggestion."

The man grinned, displaying several gold teeth. "Sure thing, boss."

Seto watched as the yakuza left taking their Okashira's son with them.

"Well, that's that."

Joey yawned and stretched. "Yup. It sure is."

"You've still got it." Seto hugged Joey kissing his neck.

"Yeah. I do don't I? But you've always had 'it'. I copied you."

Seto couldn't help but smirk.

"I wondered about that." Then Seto dismissed the whole business. Mokuba was safe, and hopefully young Hanabi was under control. "Well, now what?"

"Donno, wanna go to Nanashi? They've got prawns."

Seto shrugged, "Sure. Let's go."

They casually walked out arm in arm, shutting the door with a solid thunk.


End file.
